Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice: Dr. Holly Kiernicki

Showing posts with label Dr. Holly Kiernicki. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Feline Dental Disease, by Dr. Holly Kiernicki

Cats build plaque and tartar on their teeth just like people do and can lead to significant dental disease. Clinical signs can range from halitosis to severe discomfort leading to health issues. Painful cats may salivate, paw at their mouth or grind their teeth. Others will stop eating all together leading to weight loss and associated medical concerns such as hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver syndrome).

Some cats just have dirty teeth that need a prophylactic cleaning (dental scale and polish) to return to a healthy mouth. Other cats have an immune reaction that causes gingivitis, stomatitis and tooth loss. These lesions can be extremely painful and need to be addressed immediately.

Gingivitis is a reddening of the gums due to the bacteria present in the plaque and tartar. A more severe form, or later stage, is stomatitis, where the entire mouth is reddened and inflamed. Some cats will show no signs of gingivitis or stomatitis but will have resorptive lesions. These lesions are not true cavities. They are areas of the tooth that are being removed by cells that typically help resorb the roots of the primary, or baby teeth, as they are lost. The trigger mechanism is not known but the effect is commonly noted on exam. It starts as a small, sensitive spot on the enamel, above or below the gum line, that eventually causes the crown to fall off and the roots are left behind.

Good oral exams done at annual visits detect the majority of feline dental disease. A dental cleaning is recommended with any amount of tartar present as there can be lesions above the gum line that are not visible without probing and/or dental xrays. Once everything is cleaned up and healed, timing of exams can be determined by your veterinarian to help keep Kitty’s mouth looking and smelling fresh.

Article Written by Holly Kiernicki, DVM

Dr. Holly Kiernicki
Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice
(972) 843-1186
drholly@lapoflove.com

Dr. Holly services the greater Dallas, Texas area including:
~ Frisco ~ Denton ~ Allen ~ Fairview ~ Dallas ~ McKinney ~Celina ~ Little Elm ~ Plano ~ The Colony ~ Carrollton ~ Heath ~ Prosper ~ Richardson ~ Rowlett ~ Wylie ~ Garland ~ Mesquite ~ Rockwall ~ Highland Park

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Canine Dental Disease, by Dr. Holly Kiernicki

15-52 You don’t have to brush your teeth - just the ones you want to keep. Unknown

Photo by Wendy Hollands

I don’t think that there is a dog owner out there that hasn’t said something about “doggy breath.” Most of us lead very busy lives and have a difficult time keeping up with at home dental care. We do our best by providing approved dental chews and treats, additives to the water and, when possible, brushing Fido’s teeth.

Dental disease in dogs ranges from dental plaque and tartar causing halitosis to gum recession and tooth loss. Just like people, every dog is different. Certain breeds are predisposed to dental disease. Sight hounds, Toy breeds and Brachiocephalic (short faced) breeds have a higher incidence of dental disease than others. Diet can also play a big role. A hard diet it better than a soft diet but the resulting pH of the saliva is also a determining factor in dental health.

When looking at Fluffy’s teeth, keep in mind that they should be white and smooth like yours. Any film or build up is considered abnormal. As the tartar builds so do the number of bacteria present. Tartar is full of pockets that make wonderful little incubators for the bacteria to grow. This leads to gingivitis, inflammation of the gums. As the gums become more inflamed they shrink away from the crown. With time and progression of dental disease there is more root exposure, causing sensitivity and potential tooth root abscesses and tooth loss.

Your veterinarian will determine the severity of dental disease and advise the best course of action. This may include antibiotics in addition to a dental cleaning but also require the extraction of mobileand/or diseased teeth. Moderate to severe dental disease must be treated with the traditional anesthetic dental cleaning. Some veterinarians offer a non anesthetic dental (to be discussed in a separate article) for those with mild dental disease or for pets with a high anesthetic risk (cardiac disease being the most common concern). Remember, there is no “doggy breath” associated with a healthy mouth and that makes everyone happy.

Article Written by Holly Kiernicki, DVM

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Anesthetic or Non anesthetic Dentals: Which is right for my pet? By Dr. Holly Kiernicki

Veterinary medicine changes rapidly to meet the needs of our patients and clients. Traditionally, a dental cleaning was a day long procedure followed by an evening of grogginess. Over the past few years another option has presented itself and has proven to be useful in the dental health of our pets.

The Gold Standard for dental cleaning is still done under anesthesia. This allows the entire mouth to be examined, probed and charted along with a full set of oral radiographs to look for disease hidden under the gums. There are numerous lesions that just cannot be seen in an awake patient. As most pets do not appreciate the need for a good oral exam, anesthesia is required to determine the extent of the dental disease.

Pre-anesthetic bloodwork, IV fluids and monitoring that rivals a human hospital are all precautions taken to make this procedure as safe as possible. The anesthetic risk is no greater for an older pet than for a younger one. The anesthetic protocol can be customized to each patient. This allows a quick induction, smooth recovery and less of a “hangover” later in the evening. Although it’s a long day, for both the patient and the owner, a good anesthetic dental cleaning leads to a healthy mouth and, in most cases, a much more comfortable pet.

The newer option is a non-anesthetic dental. It is the same dental scale and polish minus the anesthesia. There are several companies like Animal Dental Care that provide dental cleaning under the supervision of your veterinarian. This option is only for those with very mild tartar and no dental disease and for those pets that are at a high anesthetic risk. Pets with several cardiac disease can have a dental cleaning without the risk and help keep the tartar buildup and infection at a minimum. We must keep in mind that although this is an excellent option, disease under the gum line and at the roots can be missed.

It is up to us to keep our pet’s mouth health. Discuss your options with your veterinarian to thwart the dreaded “doggy breath!”

Article Written by Holly Kiernicki, DVM

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Understanding the Difference Between Vaccination vs. Checking Titers

For years we have been told that our pets need vaccines every year for them to stay healthy. As veterinary medicine progresses we change our views. Today AHAA, American Animal Hospital Association, along with several universities, propose a whole new concept.

Puppies and kittens should be vaccinated with core vaccines (rabies and distemper/parvo for dogs and rabies, distemper and leukemia for cats) beginning at about 8 weeks of age and continuing until 16 weeks of age. The core vaccines are then repeated in one year. After that time, vaccines can be kept to a minimum. Rabies can be given every 3 years, according to state and local laws. The distemper vaccine, for both dogs and cats, can also be given every three years. For some pets, more frequent vaccination may be advised based on risks for exposure. Noncore vaccines such as Lymes disease, Leptosporosis, Influenza and Feline Infectious Peritonitis have specific recommendations on ages to begin and frequency given.

An alternative to some vaccines is titering. Titers test the blood for specific antibodies and determine if your pet is protected from a disease. These titers typically do not give a number or level of protection, only a positive or negative result. A positive titer insures that if exposed, your pet is as protected as it would be if given a vaccine. If the titer is negative, your pet may be at risk if exposed and should be vaccinated. Rabies titering is available but may not be accepted by the State as vaccinated. All pets vaccinated, as recommended, can begin titering after two years of age. Titers are definitely recommended for our senior pets and those that are compromised by illness or prone to vaccine reactions.

By titering our pets we are able to “customize” a protocol for each animal. This allows us, as veterinarians, to keep your pet protected from disease without compromising your pet’s health with over vaccination. Don’t get me wrong, our pets are living longer and healthier because of vaccines and they should continue to be vaccinated appropriately.

Discuss titering with your veterinarian at your next visit. Even if your pet is not due for vaccines this year, an annual exam is still needed. Senior pets should be examined twice a year. We can’t keep them healthy if they don’t come to see us!

Blog Written by:

Holly Kiernicki, DVM

Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice and In Home Euthanasia

drholly@lapoflove.com

Click here for Dr. Holly's Bio Page

Dr. Holly services the great Dallas, Texas area including:

~ Frisco ~ Denton ~ Allen ~ Fairview
~ Dallas ~ McKinney ~Celina ~ Little Elm
~ Plano ~ The Colony ~ Carrollton ~ Heath
~ Prosper ~ Richardson ~ Rowlett ~ Wylie
~ Garland ~ Mesquite ~ Rockwall ~ Highland Park

(Blog Posted by Mary Gardner, DVM)

Friday, April 20, 2012

Senior Pets and Children-Lap of Love

Senior Pets and Children

As our pets age their behavior towards family and other children sometimes change. The once sweet, loving, would never hurt a fly senior pet may suddenly become aggressive towards the children they have grown up with.

Photo credit: healthline.com

There are several factors that need to be considered when your senior’s attitude takes a turn for the worst. It could be something as simple as hearing loss to the more complicated pain that comes with aging. When a pet becomes “hard of hearing” or deaf they may be startled when a child approaches. As most children are moving quite quickly, the first and very natural response is for the pet to snap and growl or hiss and scratch. Typically it does not lead to injury but it certainly gets everyone’s attention. The same response can occur when our pets lose their vision as well. Being both blind and deaf can make a pet that much more anxious towards children. A painful pet may defend itself because it cannot get up and out of the way fast enough.

To secure the safety of our senior pets and children there are a few simple things to remember. Ask the children to approach slowly and quietly. This will allow most pets to assess the situation and react appropriately. It is best for smaller dogs and for cats to remind the kids that they can be “a little grouchy” when picked up and to just pet them gently where they are resting. For pets that sleep very soundly ask children to just avoid contact completely as they will most likely be startled no matter what.